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North Bethesda, MD Health Statistics

23.6% of adults have obesity and 8.6% have diabetes, among about 50,094 residents.

Obesity
23.6%
#499 of 519 · -9.7 pts
Diabetes
8.6%
#496 of 519 · -3.5 pts
Smoking
5.8%
-7.0 pts
Uninsured (18-64)
6.8%
-4.3 pts

How it compares

Largest differences from the U.S. average

Higher than the U.S.

  • No measure is more than 10% above the U.S. rate.

Lower than the U.S.

  • Tooth loss (65+)5.1% vs 12.6%
  • Received SNAP5.4% vs 12.8%
  • Smoking5.8% vs 12.8%

All health measures

North Bethesda, MD compared with Maryland and the U.S.

Health outcomes

Adults withHereMDU.S.
Obesity23.6%-9.7 pts35.1%33.3%
Diagnosed diabetes8.6%-3.5 pts12.4%12.1%
High blood pressure28.9%-5.5 pts36.8%34.4%
High cholesterol (among those screened)39.9%+3.5 pts38.1%36.4%
Coronary heart disease4.6%-1.7 pts5.8%6.3%
Stroke2.3%-1.1 pts3.4%3.4%
Current asthma8.9%-1.3 pts10.5%10.2%
COPD3.6%-2.9 pts5.9%6.5%
Cancer (excluding skin cancer)7.9%about the same7.6%7.7%
Arthritis19.9%-5.3 pts25.8%25.2%
Depression17.9%-3.7 pts19.4%21.6%
All teeth lost (age 65+)5.1%-7.5 pts9.8%12.6%

Health behaviors

Adults withHereMDU.S.
Current smoking5.8%-7.0 pts10.9%12.8%
Binge drinking14.6%-1.3 pts14.1%15.9%
No leisure-time physical activity15.5%-9.7 pts23.5%25.2%
Short sleep (under 7 hours)31.3%-4.8 pts37.7%36.1%

Prevention

Adults withHereMDU.S.
No health insurance (age 18 to 64)6.8%-4.3 pts8.7%11.1%
Routine checkup in the past year76.7%about the same79.2%76.8%
Dental visit in the past year72.3%+10.6 pts64.4%61.7%
Taking blood pressure medicine (if high)74.4%-1.1 pts76.6%75.5%
Cholesterol screening91.3%+5.1 pts89.6%86.2%
Colorectal cancer screening (age 45 to 75)71.0%+7.3 pts68.2%63.7%
Mammogram in the past 2 years (women 50 to 74)81.0%+4.9 pts80.7%76.1%

Health status

Adults withHereMDU.S.
Fair or poor general health12.2%-7.6 pts17.9%19.8%
Frequent mental distress11.4%-5.1 pts14.9%16.5%
Frequent physical distress9.1%-4.2 pts12.0%13.3%

Disability

Adults withHereMDU.S.
Any disability19.4%-11.0 pts26.4%30.4%
Mobility disability7.7%-6.1 pts12.4%13.8%
Cognitive disability8.8%-5.5 pts12.2%14.3%
Hearing disability4.9%-1.9 pts5.6%6.8%
Vision disability3.1%-2.2 pts4.5%5.3%
Self-care disability2.1%-1.7 pts3.5%3.8%
Independent living disability4.6%-3.5 pts6.9%8.1%

Social needs

Adults withHereMDU.S.
Lack of social and emotional support19.5%-5.1 pts24.2%24.6%
Food insecurity in the past year8.6%-7.3 pts15.3%15.9%
Received SNAP (food stamps) in the past year5.4%-7.4 pts11.8%12.8%
Housing insecurity in the past year7.9%-5.1 pts13.5%13.0%
Threat of utility shutoff in the past year4.5%-3.5 pts8.4%8.0%
Lack of reliable transportation4.7%-3.8 pts7.8%8.5%

Share of adults (18 and older unless noted), crude prevalence. Differences are compared with the U.S.; green is better than the national rate, red is worse. These are model-based estimates, not counts.

Frequently asked questions

What is the obesity rate in North Bethesda, MD?
About 23.6% of adults in North Bethesda, MD have obesity, compared with 35.1% in Maryland and 33.3% nationwide. That ranks #499 of 519 cities and towns in Maryland.
How common is diabetes in North Bethesda, MD?
About 8.6% of adults have diagnosed diabetes (Maryland 12.4%, U.S. 12.1%).
What share of adults smoke in North Bethesda, MD?
About 5.8% of adults currently smoke cigarettes, compared with 12.8% nationwide.
How accurate are these numbers?
They are CDC model-based estimates built from national survey data and local population data, not counts from local health records. Small areas have wider margins of error.

Source: CDC PLACES: Local Data for Better Health · Last updated 12/01/2025 · 2025 release. Share of adults, crude prevalence.